Getting closer: FLATS group takes delivery of steel for trail bridge

Thousands of feet and thousands of pounds of steel await their day at Thousand Hills State Park.

The steel, deposited in a corner of the park this week, will be used to build a bridge as part of Phase 1 of the Forest Lake Area Trail System project which aims to link the state park and downtown Kirksville with a walking/biking path.

FLATS representatives are planning on sitting down with state parks officials sometime in the coming weeks to discuss the Phase 1 and Phase 2 portions of the project. With funding in place for the first phase, which will extend from the park’s marina to the petroglyph shelter, design and survey work are ongoing for Phase 2.

“There are many more bridges to come,” said FLATS member Dan Martin.

The steel, purchased from low-bidder Midwest Machining, will be used to construct a bridge located between the dining lodge and the cabins as part of the path.

It will feature unique designs reflecting the historical and cultural nature of the petroglyphs found throughout Thousand Hills State Park.

“This bridge will become an identity,” Martin said. “It ties together the petroglyph design and will be readily recognizable.”

While a groundbreaking date is still being set for Phase 1, both Martin and FLATS member Royce Kallerud said it would be “sooner rather than later.”

Kallerud explained that the FLATS group has been working to clear brush for the coming phases, with Phase 2 intending to bridge the petroglyphs shelter with Campground 1.

The group, which has already received a shipment of wood for the bridge and trail, is aiming to collect all the brick and mortar supplies so that when funding is secured, work can proceed immediately.

“This sets us up perfectly for that step,” Kallerud said. “And it represents money coming into the community.”

The group received a $100,000 Recreational Trails Program grant to cover the majority of the Phase 1 costs, with donations and in-kind contributions covering the remainder.

FLATS has already secured $25,000 for Phase 2 and is in the process of applying for additional RTP funds for use this spring.